The EQUIP System: A Product Type Modeling SystemDeveloped With The MAM Method.

Abstract

The TNO Institute of Applied Physics has developed the Multi Aspect Modeling (MAM) method for building product type modeling systems and product modeling systems more efficiently and has developed tools to support the process of building such systems. The EQUIP (Work Methodology for Development of Quiet Products) system is a design supporting tool for low noise design of mechanical products. The EQUIP system is the first of a series of product type modeling systems that has been built with this method. In this paper the MAM method is illustrated using the process of building the EQUIP system as an example. In the first part of the paper it is discussed how to differentiate between different types of knowledge when building a knowledge based system. The second part of the paper focuses on the architecture of the EQUIP system and the underlying BiCad data structure. In the third part of the paper the process of configuring the EQUIP system is discussed and a strategy for design support knowledge representation is introduced. In this part the term aspect vocabulary is introduced to identify the collection of terms used by a domain expert to describe a specific view on, or aspect of a product. The fourth part of the paper elaborates on the strategy for design support knowledge representation and a distinction is made between product type modeling systems and product modeling systems. Also the relation between both kinds of system is discussed and a strategy is proposed how to use the first to build the second.